Kirika the Black Swan
by xalrion-c
Summary: Kirika the Black Swan is a parable involving Kirika and Mireille as birds.


**Kirika the Black Swan**

Kirika the Black Swan was lonely as she flew around the pond near a high school where all the other birds drank and rested. But no matter how many birds there were, none of the birds seemed like her. There were big mouthed pelicans and parrots who chirped all day. They all flapped together but none of them knew what sort of bird she was. One day she decided to find out her true identity and ventured out into the forest.  
As she rested upon a branch, Chloe the Raven swooped upon Kirika and was really impressed by her long neck and impressive wings.

"I'm black and you're black, don't you think we must be the same"

"I don't know, we seem a little different." as Kirika checks their wings.

"I'm sure we were meant to be together." Chloe said, flapping her wings like Kirika.  
"I'll be waiting for you in the mountain retreat when you're ready." Chloe said as she put her beak on Kirika.

"ok, thank you." Kirika said in a degree of bewilderment and unease.

Later Kirika ventured deeper into the forest and found a black bear with a bronge tinge.

Kirika asked "Are you like me because you're black too?"

Bear the Bear said "Well I don't think I'm like you. It doesn't matter what colour I am, I'm a bear. I have to hibernate from the world after filling up my belly. What is essential about me is that I'm a bear and eat fish to sleep for winter. Other bears have other colours but it doesn't change who they are."

Kirika said "Well I don't eat to hibernate for winter, so I guess I'm not a bear."

Bear laughed "Yes, I think you're a bit smaller than me, little bird. Good luck."

Although disappointed, Kirika walked around the forest and saw a hole with something black protruding as a beak. She opened her mouth to tug it.

"Hey, that's not a flower, that's my ear! " Madlax the Bunny cried.

"Oh I'm so sorry. I thought you had a beak." Kirika said

"That's stupid." said Madlax in a slightly smug way.

"But it's ok. I like naive creatures like you. But please don't be fooled by appearances. Some things are real and some things are illusions." Madlax smiled.

"Well, I guess I'm not you as a creature." Kirika said sadly.

"Well, have you tried Margaret the duck? She looks like you."

"Hmm, no" Kirika answered perplexedly.

"Give her a try, she's just over in that pond over there." Madlax pointed.

Kirika saw another bird in the water and it had a dark brown set of furs and a beak.

"Hello" Kirika greeted.

"Hello" Margaret greeted.

"Am I a duck like you?" Kirika asked.

"Hmm let's compare each other" Margaret quacked happily.

Margaret and Kirika spread their left wing and looked at each other

Margaret and Kirika spread their right wing and looked at each other

Margaret and Kirika looked at their webbed feet and looked at each other

"Well, we seem pretty similar" Kirika said.

"Yup" Margaret said.

"Well your wings and colours are kind of different from me." Margaret said.

"So I'm not a duck?" Kirika asked.

"Do you quack?" Margaret asked.

Kirika honked rather than quacked.

"I guess not." Kirika said.

"It's ok" Margaret smiled.

"If you're not a duck, I'm happy with whatever you are." Margaret said happily.

"Thank you" Kirika smiled and waved as she flew westwards.

Kirika flew sad not knowing what she was though the thought of Margaret kept her spirits up. One day while flying across a bustling city she saw a nice stretch of water and there were plenty of noisy birds. But Kirika avoided them and saw a lone black goose rather sad looking and kind of anxious.

"Hello" Kirika asked.

"What are you doing? Can't you see I'm grazing?" the goose said

"What's your name?" Kirika asked shyly.

"Mireille, and you're in my way!" as she started eating near Kirika's feet.

"Am I like you?" Kirika asked.

"No!" Mireille exclaimed coldly.

"What are you?" Kirika asked

"A goose, can't you see?" Mireille answered in a slightly hostile tone.

"I see, do you know what I am?" Kirika asked in hope and also in fear.

"I don't know, please leave me alone" Mireille honked

"Please Mireille, I'm all alone and don't know what I am. Please help me." Kirika honked sadly.

Mireille calmed down and started pitying her and staring at her features.

"Well I think you're a swan. You have the features. But" Mireille thought.

"But?" Kirika asked.

"Swans aren't black, I've never seen any black swans before." Mirelle said in a perplexed fashion.

"You're a disturbing enigma." Mireile said as she shook her head.

"Well since you're here, I need you to help round up people to give us our daily bread."  
"Daily Bread?" Kirika asked.

"Yes, now start acting cute around those humans." Mireille honked.

During those months, Mireille and Kirika grazed around Paris and seemed increasingly comfortable with each other. They even saw wonderful creatures like kittens and saw people painting over the lake.

But one day Chloe the raven saw the two lovebirds and started getting angry. She swooped down and crowed in front of them.

"This isn't your home Kirika. We are both black and birds, we are ravens! " Chloe squawked.

"Mireille is a goose, what would she know!" Chloe flapped.

"What would you know? You dark raven? Stop stalking from the trees!" Mireille flaps angrily  
When Mireille and Chloe were fighting and making a noise. Kirika got sad and flew away.

"Kirika!"

"I'll be back for you. I know she'll return to my nest where she belongs " Chloe gazed angrily at Mireille as she flew away.

Kirika flew depressed, lost and ventured into a farm yard as she grew in hunger.

When she ventured inside a little house, she met Ellis the blonde chick and Nadie the red fennec fox. Kirika noticed they got along very well after they were all sharing a taco.

"You seem to get along so well but you're so different." Kirika remarked.

Nadie said "I could eat Ellis anytime but you see I like her. It doesn't matter she's totally different from me."

Ellis joked "I'm so glad she hasn't eaten me!"

Kirika said "I see."

"It's dangerous out there. I hope you have a home to retire to." Nadie said as Kirika flew deeper into a jungle.

Kirika slowed down as she got hungry and saw a slithering Python.

"Hello there." the Python greeted.

"I'm Kirika."

"I'm Carrosssssea Dooon"

"I flew afar for many days. I feel sad I wonder what true partnership is" Kirika remarked.  
"Why don't I show you what that means. I love wrapping myself around birds." Carrossea smirked as he started slithering his long tongue.

"No, I don't think I want that." Kirika said with unease.

"Oh, well good luck with your journey. I hope you find out who you really are. If I did that I probably end up killing myself." Carrossea replied disappointed.

Kirika then flew far, very far without eating. She flew past snow capped mountain peaks, into a dark mountainous valley where she saw large dark birds feasting on the carcasses of deceased animals.

Kirika flew upon a deceased creature and started eating a bit of flesh in desperate hunger.  
A large black vulture descended upon Kirika.

"Do you like the flesh of the dead?" Altena asked in an insinuating tone.

" It tastes kind of good" Kirika said

"I know, the dead is something to live off." Altena preached.

"But somehow I feel I don't want to eat this?" Kirika replied in doubt.

"Don't be silly child, death is meant for us. I am Chloe's mother" Altena said in a motherly voice, spreading her wing around Kirika.

"Am I raven? Mireille said I was a black swan." Kirika asked

"Of course you're a black swan. And you know black swans are meant to kill other birds and feast on their flesh." Altena said.

"Oh, but I haven't before." Kirika still pondering in doubt.

"It's just you never knew about your true nature before." Altena said in a conniving fashion.

"Oh, I see." Kirika said sadly as she shed a tear.

Chloe looked at this moment in sheer joy as she ripped a morsel of flesh in her beak and gave it to this moment Mireille flapped hard to make Kirika notice.

"Kirika, I've come for you. This isn't your home!" Mireille honked loudly flapping as hard as she can.

"Stop being a mother goose! At this height, you're in my territory!" " Chloe screamed as she charged towards Mireille.

Mireille took a peck from Chloe but as Chloe swooped for another peck, Kirika pulled Mireille away and Chloe pierced herself into Kirika's beak.

"So that's who you are, you birdbrain." Chloe squawked in a rage.

Kirika retreated with Mireille behind her and dived low. Chloe dived fast but she went too fast and bumped her head and went dizzy.

Altena then dived in front of them  
"You won't be allowed to go back. This is your home." Altena spread her feathers very wide as to encompass them.

As she did this, Mireille and Kirika dived into a narrow ravine and Altena gave pursuit.  
They banked left and right till they escaped through a narrow hole near a lava pit and Altena never bothered them again.

As the two birds licked their wounds and rested upon a Japanese tea pavilion, Kirika said "Thank you Mireille, I still don't know who I am." as she shook her head.

"But you know it doesn't matter do you?" Mireille responded happily.

"Yes" Kirika said

"Kirika, don't let others make you believe what they say you are."

"And it doesn't matter we aren't alike, Mireille."

"Because" Kirika smiled

"Because" Mireille smiled

And then they started touched each other's beaks in a warm embrace.


End file.
